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How to Afford
an
Architect
Proven ways to save the design team’s time and your money
BY DUO DICKINSON
W
hen David and Nancy Stein came to see me about case study of the ways involved, conscientious homeowners can
designing a house, their biggest concern, like most reduce an architect’s fees.
clients’, was cost. Their house had just burned down,
and they had to rebuild. They would be reusing most of Design options and detailed drawings are expensive
the original foundation, and they had a builder, Clark Sellars, lined Architects most often charge some form of a fixed fee, either a certain percentage of construction
up. But they wanted to know
costs, a dollar amount per square
whether they could hire me to
foot, or a lump sum. Regarddesign the new house and still
less of the mechanics of billing,
stay within their budget.
a client really is paying for the
The Steins’ budget was limited
architect’s time. If you can plead
strictly to the insurance check. If
your case to an open-minded
the project came in over budget,
architect and explain that you
they wouldn’t have the money to
will diligently limit his or her
pay for it. Given their insurance
time and take on added responsisettlement and the house’s footbility, there is a good chance you
print, they could afford about
can weave the cost of a creative,
$115 per sq. ft., including design
innovative, and (you hope) beauand structural-engineering fees.
tiful design into your budget.
Although I knew completing the
My own firm charges all fees
project on this budget was possion an hourly basis, but we offer
ble, I wouldn’t be able to provide
two different service levels: a fulla full scope of architectural serbudgets demand straightforward shapes and spaces.
service
option and a consultant
vices. The Steins, however, were Modest
Part of an architect’s job is to a design a house that can be built on
option. Under the full-service
willing to roll up their sleeves budget. For these cost-cutting clients, that meant simple framing (a
option, my firm serves as the archiand become actively involved in basic roof shape) and simple materials (clapboards, T-111 siding, and
asphalt roof shingles).
tects of record and provides a full
the design process.
scope of architectural services,
Because this extra work required the clients’ time, this approach might not be for everybody. including weekly site visits during construction. In this scenario, we
All told, my firm’s design fee was about 5% of the total construc- typically present five or six different design options to the client and
tion cost. This figure is extremely low, even for the strictly lim- react to his or her feedback. Once the client and I have come up with
ited work that we did. The Steins’ experience, therefore, is a a consensus design, my firm draws a complete set of construction and
Involved, conscientious homeowners
can reduce an architect’s fees.
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FINE HOMEBUILDING
Drawings: Courtesy of Duo Dickinson
COPYRIGHT 2008 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.
FEWER DRAWINGS,
SMALLER BILL
Labor-intensive drawings account for a large part of
an architect’s billable hours. For the Steins’ house,
my firm drew about 80% fewer drawings than we’d
typically do for a full-service project. Of course, this
means the homeowner and the builder have much
less detail to guide them. How much less?
For the Steins, who used our consultant-service
option, the staircase was lightly drawn with all
its details shown in a cross section of the house
(top drawing). The notes indicate the headroom
required, critical framing details, and stair location.
By comparison, a client with a similar staircase
Lightly drawn stair plan
who used our full-service option received multiple
detailed drawings showing all elevations of the stairs
(bottom drawings). The plans included all dimensions
and trim details, including the baluster design and
placement—something that was left up to the builder
and the homeowners in the Steins’ case.
Detailed stair plans
shop drawings, generally somewhere between 60 and 80 drawings.
On average, this full-service approach costs between 16% and 18% of
the construction budget.
Saving money means making more decisions yourself
With clients like the Steins, for whom limiting costs is the primary concern, I recommend our other service option. In this scenario, my firm
limits the services we provide to make the project buildable for the
minimum possible fee, thereby providing maximum savings to the
client. We essentially serve as consultants. The client supplies explicit
guidelines and design criteria. I deliver a minimum number of drawings for an accurate bid and a viable permit application. The drawings
provide critical dimensions rather than complete dimensions, and the
builder gets performance standards rather than product specifications.
To reduce my involvement, the client takes on greater responsibility
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to interpret designs and to intercede with the builder to specify
materials and finishes. In this client-architect relationship, it’s important that the client and the builder have a good relationship and that
the builder is involved early in the design process.
Although I’m billing an hourly rate for my time, this type of consultancy contract generally translates to a fee of between 11% and 14% of
the construction budget. However, the more the client knows what
he wants, the less he’ll spend on design services.
With this house, we were able to reduce fees to 5% because the Steins
had such a clear idea of what they wanted. David Stein had sketched
a rough floor plan before we met. My firm presented the Steins with
two options, and they readily approved one of them.
The Steins also took steps to reduce the time I spent on their project. For instance, they cut back on my travel time by coming to my
office for design meetings and by requesting only two site visits
SPRING/SUMMER 2008
COPYRIGHT 2008 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.
85
during construction. They were also willing to
make a million decisions on the fly as construction of their house progressed.
Typically for a house of this size and complexity with a moderate design budget and this level
of design service, my firm would produce 25 to
30 drawings. The Steins received just thirteen
24-in. by 36-in. drawings. One reason we were
able to get by with so few drawings is that the
Steins had chosen a builder before hiring me,
and he could weigh in on the design process.
Working from so few drawings meant that
many features were lightly drawn, showing
limited detail. The homeowners, then, had
to be willing to answer dozens of questions
about things like tile patterns, stair-railing
details, paint colors, and hardware choices,
often at the last minute. On average, they said this involved about two hours a day
of research and returning calls.
Simply appealing.
To build a house
for $115 per sq. ft.,
the Steins and their
builder relied on
drywall and flat stock
trim as a way of limiting costs. A taper
added to the fireplace shroud makes
these common materials expressive.
Reduced design fee still means a quality house
More than a deck. The
family’s outdoor life
revolves around a backyard that is several feet
above the first floor.
To avoid an awkward
traipse around the
house and up the hill, a
bridge from the second
floor links the house to
the yard. The entry from
the bridge ties neatly
into a landing on the
house’s central stairs,
complete with a small
office space. The location and general style of
the bridge were shown
in the plans, but the
builder worked out the
specifics on site in consultation with the owner.
When designing a house without the resources to spend time
drawing every detail and specifying every material and construction method, there is potential for some miscommunication
and gaps in the information conveyed in the drawings. In the
Steins’ case, though, the process was remarkably smooth. The
vast majority of the house was built exactly as drawn by my colleague Brian Ross, and those areas (the fireplace, the bridge to
the backyard, and the lofts above the upstairs bedrooms) that
had to be figured out in the field turned out well. Figuring out
these lightly drawn areas is where an experienced and thoughtful
builder makes all the difference.
When I walk through the finished house, I see that the office
area on the stair landing is smaller than I anticipated and that a
few interior-trim details aren’t exactly as envisioned. When I
look at the code-compliant, standard stair rail, I think that it
would have been fun to design a more expressive one, as the
stair is a central feature of the house. But these are small points.
As built, the house turned out to be both an exceptional value
and an extraordinarily apt reflection of a family’s values and lifestyle. Most important, the project was finished on budget and
more or less on time. Obviously, my firm helped to make that
happen, but in truth, the builder is almost always the hero when time and money
issues are resolved satisfactorily. In this case, his diligence, thoughtfulness, and can-do
attitude very much enabled the project to be a success for everyone concerned.
□
Madison, Conn.-based architect Duo Dickinson (www.duodickinson.com)
believes you shouldn’t have to choose between budget-friendly mediocrity
and unaffordable fantasy. Photos by Mick Hales.
The homeowners have to answer dozens of
questions, often at the last minute.
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FINE HOMEBUILDING
COPYRIGHT 2008 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.
TEN STEP$ TO REDUCE AN ARCHITECT’S FEES
Nobody needs an
architect. The fact
that only 2% to 3%
of new homes are
architect-designed
proves this. A welldesigned house,
though, should be
more comfortable to
live in and should save
you money. That’s
because the details
and specifications of
a carefully considered
design prevent
unnecessary, ongoing
maintenance while
creating a more
efficient, smaller home
with lower utility
costs and, perhaps,
a lower property-tax
assessment.
That’s a lot to ask,
and consequently, an
architect’s services
aren’t cheap. But there
are things you can do to
make the architect’s job
easier and less costly.
It all comes down to
taking on responsibilities
that you could avoid
with higher design
fees. Working on
dozens of projects
like the Steins’, I’ve
learned a lot about what
homeowners can do
to reduce the number
of hours I bill. Here are
the 10 with the biggest
bang for the buck.
1. EDUCATE YOURSELF
Before you begin interviewing
architects, dedicate yourself to becoming a home-design and building nerd. Learn everything you can
about design, the construction
process, and available materials by
watching TV, reading back issues
of Fine Homebuilding, and buying
boxes of books about houses.
2. KNOW YOUR BUDGET
You need to know exactly how
much money you have to spend
and what that budget must cover.
If you want landscaping or particular appliances or furnishings for
your new house, you have to factor that into the budget.
3. DON’T EXPECT
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Interview as many architects as
necessary to find the right one.
(And you should never hire your
brother-in-law until you’ve considered hiring pretty much everybody else.) You should look for an
architect whose aesthetics match
yours and whose design process
inspires you and reflects what you
value, whether it’s aesthetics, green
design, natural materials, or wild
sculptural details.
And remember: Architects are
like leopards; spot-changing is not
likely. Regardless of the style you
want, make sure the architect has
done work you love. Don’t accept
an architect’s promises to change
from what she has done in the
past so that she can meet your
specific needs.
4. BE VERY CLEAR
ABOUT YOUR NEEDS
The more precise you are about
the physical requirements of the
structure and the more precise
you are about what appeals to
you before the design process
starts, the less time an architect
will spend on your project and the
less time will be spent in design
development. Less time equals
less money.
5. GET YOUR BUILDER
INVOLVED EARLY
The best-case scenario is to have
a builder whom you can trust on
board during the design process.
The builder can head off structural
approaches that he is either inexperienced or uncomfortable with.
He also can offer an immediate
reality check on the cost of your
and the architect’s ideas. Involving
the builder in the process means
he won’t find any surprises when
he gets the construction drawings.
That means few, if any, revisions
caused by the builder’s reactions
to the design, the detailing, or the
structural approach.
Your architect can refer you to a
builder, but never accept only one
referral. Interview three or four
builders, and find the one who
fits you best, independent of the
architect’s recommendations. Then
bid out the project to the leading
contenders to establish a budget,
and negotiate the architect’s final
scope of work and design based
on the builder you’ve chosen.
6. DON’T CONTRACT
FOR SERVICES YOU
DON’T NEED
When you meet with the architect,
plainly state what design services
you need. If you don’t require a
full-service architect, say so. Then
make arrangements with him for
specific services.
7. ENGAGE IN THE
DESIGN PROCESS
Demand full explanations of all
the elements of the design as it’s
being presented. Don’t sit back
and take it. Actively seek the logic
behind the architect’s choices so
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that you understand why your
house is designed the way it is.
8. DIGEST EVERYTHING
BEFORE MAKING
DECISIONS
Thoroughly review the architect’s
proposals before you provide
feedback. You don’t want to make
a snap decision and then have a
change of heart once she has
incorporated your feedback into
the design. Take the time for
discussion with your family to
arrive at a mutual decision. The
more time an architect spends
on revisions, the more you’ll end
up paying.
9. SEND AN EMAIL
Use email instead of scheduling
meetings to discuss the design.
It’s easy to scan drawings into
either a PDF or JPEG format
and email them to the architect
to establish a dialogue, rather
than spending time and money
on meetings. Regular email
exchanges allow you to maintain
close contact and to short-circuit
an architect’s normal tendency
to present “perfected” proposals. This should prevent him from
spending too much time developing a design that is off-track.
10. BUY A DIGITAL
CAMERA
Take site photos during construction and email them to the
architect every day or two as
construction progresses. It’s a lot
cheaper than a site visit. Not only
will this satisfy her urge to see her
brainchild take form, but it also
might improve the project. Regular photo updates can head off
misinterpretations by the builder.
An architect working on a tight
fee simply cannot explore all the
possible design ramifications, so
photo updates might also suggest
improvements that can be incorporated during construction.
Homeowners David and Nancy Stein share how they applied
architect Duo Dickinson’s 10 steps when they rebuilt their home.
www.finehomebuilding.com
SPRING/SUMMER 2008
COPYRIGHT 2008 by The Taunton Press, Inc. Copying and distribution of this article is not permitted.
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